What the 21st Century IDEA Act and OMB M-23-22 Mean for Digital-First Government in 2025
How federal agencies are turning modernization mandates into measurable progress
The federal government’s digital transformation didn’t begin with new technology; it began with new expectations. The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA), passed in 2018, set the groundwork for every federal digital service to be secure, accessible, and centered on the public.
Five years later, the Office of Management and Budget’s Memorandum M-23-22: Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience renewed that mission with urgency. It gave agencies specific deadlines, new coordination structures, and measurable goals that push modernization from vision to performance. Together, these policies define what a digital-first government truly looks like: one where the public can find information, complete tasks, and trust the experience.
From Policy to Performance
The IDEA Act required agencies to make all public-facing websites and forms accessible under Section 508, mobile-ready, secure, and consistent in design. It also directed agencies to digitize paper-based processes and replace redundant legacy sites.
OMB’s M-23-22, issued in late 2023, builds directly on that foundation by setting clear deadlines and linking progress to performance reporting under OMB Circular A-11 Section 280. The memo introduced several time-bound actions that continue to shape agency priorities through 2025:
Within 60 days: Name a senior accountable official for digital experience.
Within 90 days: Establish the Federal Digital Experience Council under the CIO Council.
Within 180 days: Identify and improve at least five high-impact public services for digital self-service; submit a preliminary service inventory.
Within one year: Publish a complete inventory of all public-facing services in the new Federal Services Index.
With these milestones, M-23-22 transforms the IDEA Act’s principles into a disciplined implementation schedule that agencies must meet and document.
Defining Digital-First
Digital-first government is not about moving paper forms online; it’s about designing experiences that work from any device, for any person, at any time. M-23-22 clarifies that standard. Every agency website, web application, and mobile app must be accessible, consistent, and designed around user tasks.
To achieve this, agencies are expected to follow WCAG 2.1 AA (or newer) standards, use the U.S. Web Design System for consistency, write in plain language, and build in privacy and cybersecurity from the start. These expectations don’t just enhance usability, they create a common look, feel, and reliability across government, making official digital experiences easier to recognize and trust.
Accountability and Measurable Impact
Through OMB A-11 Section 280, M-23-22 formally connects customer experience (CX) data to agency performance reviews and budget planning. Agencies must now measure satisfaction, task completion, accessibility conformance, and related indicators, and include those metrics in their annual reports.
This ensures modernization remains measurable, transparent, and tied to mission outcomes. The focus has shifted from counting websites to demonstrating results: faster transactions, clearer content, and more equitable access to services.
Why It Matters in 2025
As the one-year service-inventory deadline approaches this fall, agencies are moving from policy planning to public delivery. The IDEA Act and M-23-22 are more than compliance checklists; they represent a long-term shift toward service design that prioritizes people.
For the public, this means clearer forms, faster processes, and greater confidence in online government interactions. For agencies, it means embedding accessibility, usability, and CX measurement into everyday operations. Each successful digital interaction strengthens trust; each barrier weakens it.
Moving Forward
The next phase of digital modernization is about sustaining momentum. Agencies that embrace continuous improvement, testing, measuring, and updating services in real time will lead the next chapter of federal innovation. The IDEA Act provided the foundation. M-23-22 provides the accountability.
Together, they ensure that “digital-first” becomes more than a goal; it becomes the standard for how government serves people in 2025 and beyond.
About Tunlaw Industries
Tunlaw Industries partners with federal organizations to modernize communication and digital experiences through accessible design and strategic insight. We help agencies turn complexity into opportunity, creating public-facing digital experiences that are compliant, human-centered, and built for trust.